Maxima Function
log (x)
Represents the natural (base e) logarithm of x.
Maxima does not have a built-in function for the base 10 logarithm or other bases.
log10(x) := log(x) / log(10) is a useful definition.
Simplification and evaluation of logarithms is governed by several global flags:
logexpand - causes log(a^b) to become b*log(a).
If it is set to all, log(a*b) will also simplify to log(a)+log(b).
If it is set to super, then log(a/b) will also simplify to log(a)-log(b) for rational
numbers a/b, a#1. (log(1/b), for b integer, always simplifies.) If
it is set to false, all of these simplifications will be turned off.
logsimp - if false then no simplification of %e to a power
containing log's is done.
lognumer - if true then negative floating point arguments to
log will always be converted to their absolute value before the log is
taken. If numer is also true, then negative integer arguments to log
will also be converted to their absolute value.
lognegint - if true implements the rule log(-n) ->
log(n)+%i*%pi for n a positive integer.
%e_to_numlog - when true, r some rational number, and
x some expression, %e^(r*log(x)) will be simplified into
x^r . It should be noted that the radcan command also
does this transformation, and more complicated transformations of this ilk as well.
The logcontract command "contracts" expressions containing log.